Small cookie of nut paste (typically almond or coconut), sugar, and egg white.

A Portuguese fortified wine, treated with heat as it ages to give it a distinctive flavor and brownish color.

A complex browning reaction that results in the particular flavor and color of foods that do not contain much sugar, including roasted meats. The reaction, which involves carbohydrates and amino acids, is named after the French scientist who first discovered it. There are low-temperature and high-temperature Maillard reactions; the high-temperature reaction starts at 310°F/154°C.

Dining room manager or food and beverage manager, informally called maître d’. This position oversees the dining room and/or the front- of-house staff. Also, a compound butter flavored with chopped parsley and lemon juice.

A slicing device of plastic or stainless steel with carbon steel blades. Most models have blades that may be adjusted to cut items into various shapes and thicknesses.

The intramuscular fat found in meat that makes it tender and juicy.

An appareil used before cooking to flavor and moisten foods; may be liquid or dry. Liquid marinades are usually based on an acidic ingredient such as wine or vinegar; dry marinades are usually salt based.

To turn a food (without flipping it over) 90 degrees after it has been on the grill for several seconds to create the cross-hatching associated with grilled foods.

A paste of ground almonds, sugar, and sometimes egg whites used to fill, cover, and decorate pastries.

A French fish stew traditionally made with eel or other freshwater fish and flavored with wine and aromatics.